Vacuum-cleaner power-brush attachment

ABSTRACT

A power-brush attachment usable in combination with a line-voltage source and with a vacuum-cleaner suction intake has a housing having a lower wall formed with an opening and a connection—suction tube and/or hose—on the housing engageable with the suction intake. The housing has a passage extending between the connection and the opening for drawing particles in the opening. A rotary brush in the housing is exposed in the opening and engageable therethrough with a floor underneath the housing. A low-voltage electric motor is connected to the brush for rotating same. A low-voltage power source, typically a battery, in the housing is also connectable to the motor for powering same without connection to the line-voltage same. A power converter and electrical line are connectable between the line-voltage source and the electric motor for powering the motor from the line-voltage source.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an attachment for a vacuum cleaner. More particularly this invention concerns a power-brush attachment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical power-brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner has a housing provided with an opening on the bottom, as well as an air passage with an attachment piece at the end for connection with the suction intake, that is the side, the suction pipe, or the suction hose of a vacuum cleaner. A brush roller is rotatable in the opening on the bottom by an electric motor. The connector through which the suction air stream can flow can be designed as a rotating/pivoting joint that permits vertical deflection of an attached suction tube or suction hose and can also be rotated around its longitudinal axis.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,156 and 5,101,534 describe a brush attachment with the described characteristics that has an electrical connection to an external power supply for the electrical motor. The electrical connection is mounted at the connector on the rear side of the housing and is provided with contacts that engage counter contacts when the suction tube is connected. Electrical lines running along the suction tube connect the counter contacts with an electrical connection at the vacuum cleaner and form part of the external electricity supply. The brush attachment is suitable for cleaning textile and smooth floor coverings. It is disadvantageous that the brush attachment can only be used in combination with a suction tube specially equipped for an external electricity supply for the electrical motor driving the roller brush. The brush attachment cannot be connected directly to the suction hose, for example, for vacuuming spaces that are difficult to reach, or wall or cushion surfaces. This limits handling as well as the uses of the brush attachment. In practice, brush attachments that have an external electricity is supply are essentially only used for cleaning large floor surfaces.

DE 298 02 879 U1 describes a rechargeable battery-operated brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner. It has the design described above, as well as an exchangeable DC low-voltage power supply in the housing to supply electricity to the electrical motor. The low-voltage power supply consists of a rechargeable battery that can be inserted into a receptacle in the housing, and that must be removed from the housing for recharging in an external charging unit. The rechargeable battery-operated brush attachment is universally usable and can optionally be attached to a commercial suction tube or directly to a suction hose. Its operating time is limited by the capacity and the battery charge of the rechargeable battery block. It is disadvantageous that in the case of long use, the vacuuming operation must be interrupted again and again in order to switch out the rechargeable battery and recharge it. Rechargeable battery-operated brush attachments are therefore only occasionally used in practice, and for vacuuming of smaller surfaces.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved vacuum-cleaner power-brush attachment.

Another object is the provision of such an improved vacuum-cleaner power-brush attachment that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in particular that combines the advantages of use of a brush attachment operated by using line power and a rechargeable, battery-operated brush attachment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is attained according to the invention in a power-brush attachment usable in combination with a line-voltage source and with a vacuum-cleaner suction intake. The attachment has according to the invention a housing having a lower wall formed with an opening and a connection—suction tube and/or hose—on the housing engageable with the suction intake. The housing has a passage extending between the connection and the opening for drawing particles in the opening. A rotary brush in the housing is exposed in the opening and engageable therethrough with a floor underneath the housing. A low-voltage electric motor is connected to the brush for rotating same. A low-voltage power source, typically a battery, in the housing is also connectable to the motor for powering same without connection to the line-voltage same. A power converter and electrical line are connectable between the line-voltage source and the electric motor for powering the motor from the line-voltage source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing whose sole FIGURE is a partly sectional view of a power-brush attachment and related equipment according to the invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

The basic design of this brush attachment has a housing 10 with an opening 11 on its bottom wall 12. An air passage 13 in the housing 10 has extends to a connector 11 connectable to the suction tube 14 and hose 15 of a vacuum-cleaner suction intake 16, here shown as part of a central-vacuum system although it could also simply be the suction intake of an upright or cannister vacuum cleaner or the like. A brush roller 17 is rotatable in the opening 11 by a brushless direct-current motor 19 also mounted inside the housing 10.

In accordance with the invention, the brush attachment is provided with an electrical connection 20, here a simple line wire extending along the tube 14 and hose 15 and terminating in a standard wall plug 21 fittable to an external power supply 22 for the electric motor 19. The supply 22 is here a standard 110 VAC wall outlet adjacent the suction intake 16. Inside the housing 10 is also a DC low-voltage power source 23 that is exchangeably or fixedly mounted in the housing 10, for instance removable through the side of the housing 10. This source 23 can also supply voltage to the electric motor 19 through a power converter 26 provided in the housing 10 to step down the line voltage for use powering the motor 19 and/or charging the battery 23. The arrangement is made in such a way that the brush attachment can be operated during normal use, optionally with line power from the outlet 22 or also independent of the electricity grid with the DC low-voltage power source 23. During line use the source 23 can be charged.

The converter 26 can be eliminated in a situation where the motor 19 incorporates this device and/or such that the motor can run off both alternating and direct current.

The electrical connection is preferably set up for an is external power supply of 110V or 230V alternating current, and designed as part of a connection. The electrical connection, for example in the form of a plug 24 carried on the housing 10 and a socket 25 on the tube 14 outside the housing 10. It is also within the scope of the invention that the electrical connection is integrated into the connector of the housing that is located at the end and has electrical contacts that come in contact with counter contacts during connection of a suction tube or a connection port upon connection of the suction tube, that are firmly mounted at the suction tube or the connection port and are a part of the external electricity supply. The connector is thereby always designed in such a way that it can also be connected without electrical contact with a conventional suction tube or the end piece of a suction hose. As an alternative to a power supply that is integrated into the suction tube or the connection port, the external power can also be supplied by a separate connection cable.

The brush attachment in accordance with the invention combines the advantages of a device that is powered by electricity from the power grid and a rechargeable, battery-powered device. For cleaning large floor surfaces the brush attachment should be run with an external power supply for the electric motor 19. For occasional use cleaning smaller floor surfaces and/or cushion surfaces, the brush attachment can be run off the rechargeable battery 23 so that the brush attachment can be combined with commercial suction tubes and suction hoses that do not have any electrical contacts.

For further structural designs of the brush attachment, a number of possibilities are suggested. As electric motor, for example, a universal motor, in particular a brushless universal motor, a so-called BLDC motor can be used that can be powered by alternating current as well as with direct current and that distinguishes itself by a particularly compact structure. Further, a direct-current motor can be used that is connected to an upstream transformer and/or rectifier. As DC low-voltage power supply, one or more dry cells or rechargeable batteries can be used, for example. Further, a suitable DC low-voltage power supply is a portable fuel cell that differentiates itself with respect to conventional rechargeable batteries and batteries by lower weight, faster recharging, a longer life cycle, and a longer period of operation. 

1. In combination with a line-voltage source and with a vacuum-cleaner suction intake, an attachment comprising: a housing having a lower wall formed with an opening; a connection on the housing engageable with the suction intake, the housing having a passage extending between the connection and the opening for drawing particles in the opening; a rotary brush exposed in the opening and engageable therethrough with a floor underneath the housing; a low-voltage electric motor connected to the brush for rotating same and powerable by line voltage and low-voltage direct current; a low-voltage power source in the housing connectable to the motor for powering same without connection to the line-voltage same; and an electrical line connectable between the line-voltage source and the electric motor for powering the motor from the line-voltage source.
 2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the low-voltage power source is a battery or a fuel cell.
 3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the low-voltage power source is a rechargeable battery.
 4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the electric motor is a suitable brushless BLDC motor.
 5. The combination defined in claim 1 further comprising a separable connection between the electrical line and the electric motor.
 6. The combination defined in claim 1, further comprising a suction tube connectable between the housing and the suction intake.
 7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein the electrical line extends at least partially along the suction tube.
 8. The combination defined in claim 1, further comprising a power converter including a rectifier between the electric line and the meter.
 9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein the source is a rechargeable battery connected to the converter for charging while the attachment is running off line voltage. 